Keeper of Souls
by Crystal56
Summary: The Keeper of Souls has existed for centuries. She is engaged to a man named Xellos and now has a task at hand. A task that involves Xellos. No flames but have a look! Better story than summary!
1. Part 1: The Beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, got it?

A/N: Blah, blah, blah, blah...

Keeper of Souls

_I am known as the Keeper of Souls. People often refer to me as the Soul Collector, Black-winged Angel, and even Mistress of Lost Souls. I am, in most ways, all these things. I manage the souls I collect or find, and I have wings of black and grey. I have magical powers that surpass the normal mind and I have lived many centuries and seen much. My name is Catsuya Nûluêth Ryu, although many just call me by my first name, or an abbreviated version Cat, which is how I move when I am in the process of collecting souls. _

_I am also a clanswoman. I am of the tri-clan, which consists of the Dragon, the Phoenix and the Fairy. I don't know what other clan bloods live within me, but in a way I suspect I have them all. I oversee all clans under my domain._

_I am engaged to be married to one named Xellos. He knows it, resents it, but accepts it. The match was made long ago. He has no soul to speak of, and I find myself drawn to him, almost like I am in love. If he has even the slightest bit of a soul, even as he is a Mazoku, I could never claim it. He is one who is precious to me. He is one who has lived as long as I have, plus two years. Xellos is a unique one, its true he is. _

_I have a soul; at least I believe that to be so, for I have felt it within me, as I feel many a soul when people are nearby._

_This is my story; this is what I'm telling to you. You may believe it or not, accept it or not, but it is the truth. My story is not one of joy, at least not very much, but one of trials and acceptance and suffering. _

_This is my story. Why do I tell it? Because I want to. I wish to share this with you, so that you can understand how I feel, why I am the way I am. Why I do the things I do... Please, listen to my story, don't judge, just listen. Just listen..._

_And here it begins..._

**Part 1: The Beginning**

"Xellos, why are you attempting to hit me?" I asked, "You know you can't!"

"I will," he said, "I will sometime and you know that!" He was only two years older than I was...at the moment we were play fighting.

"No you won't! Na na!" I replied teasingly, "No you won't!"

"What was that?" Xellos asked and made a move with his staff to try and hit me again.

"I said you won't be able to hit me!" I cried and laughed.

"Why did I ever get stuck with you?" Xellos asked.

"You were never stuck with me!" I said, "You agreed to this arrangement. I didn't arrange it..."

"Whoever arranged it will suffer greatly!" Xellos said and I moved in front of him and kissed him on the cheek playfully.

"I'm not enforcing it or anything...we have time..." I said.

"Stop teasing me!" he said, "You just knock it off!"

"You know what? Grow up...grow up just a little and I'll marry you then!" I said.

"Why do you want me to grow up? I am grown up! I'm old enough!" he said.

"Go on adventures for a couple hundred years Xellos!" I laughed, "You'll grow up soon enough!"

"Why should I go adventure? So I can find myself or something?" he asked me.

"That...my dear Xellos is a Se-cr-et!" I giggled and then kissed his cheek again and disappeared into the shadows.

TBC

A/N: Background enough? Well, let me know what you think, just don't flame! Flames roast marshmallows to make S'mores for those that like my story!


	2. Part 2: Reuniting

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, okay? (Although I do have two of the handsome guys locked up in my basement...)

A/N: Wai! I'm glad someone took a look at this one, now I'm daring to continue!

As for the main character, she isn't the same person as with Honto no Koi, unless you really wanted me to tie that in...or something...which would totally force me to rethink Honto no Koi and this...so I won't. They are different.

Anyways, looking forward to this chapter...hope you are too!

**Part 2: Reuniting**

**One Millennium Later:**

"Okay, let's see if you can hit me now...and don't think of running away on this, I've been searching for you for some time now!" I said teasingly at Xellos's angry look.

"I'm going to get you this time, I'm not the same I was years ago!" he said and prepared to strike. To slow, I managed not only to block him but I got him in a headlock.

"Not so tough now, are you Xellos?" I asked. Truth is, I was searching for him to enforce our arrangement. It was high time we married; I think I left him enough years alone to see the world and cause mischief.

"Get off of me!" he yelled and I got up and moved a few steps away.

"Still can't take it I'm more powerful than you are?" I asked him as he brushed himself off.

"You know, you were a lot nicer when you were a little kid!" he said.

"My dear Xellos, I'm the same as I was before!" I said and quieted for a minute. Something was coming...something was...

"Stop picking on the weak! Justice will strike down the wicked and you will be severely punished!" a young voice cried out and I looked around, as did Xellos to see a young woman up in a tree, staring down at me with a look of, was that hatred?

"Well come down and we'll see who gets punished!" I challenged and Xellos looked over at me with recognition in his eyes, "What? You know who this girl is?"

"I think that's Miss Amelia!" he said but before he could say anything else I heard this scream and a thud and the girl that had been in the tree had landed on the ground, flat on her face.

"Miss Amelia?" Xellos asked.

"You know this person?" I asked peevishly, "How?"  
"We traveled together for a time," he said with a wolfish grin. Nothing good would come of this, would it?

"Alright, now you, the wicked shall fall to my unyielding search for justice!" the girl called out and I saw she was now standing, but a few feet back.

"Little girl, don't you search for truth instead of justice? If you don't have truth with justice, then you could be fighting for a blind cause..." I said with a smile of my own to go with me. Okay, so I wore my pride on my sleeve...

"Flare...ARROW!" she cried and I dodged out of the way of the arrows easily enough.

"Miss Amelia?" Xellos asked and Amelia stopped short of casting another spell.

"Mr. Xellos?" she asked, looking slightly dumbfounded.

"Oh, so you two do know each other...I hope it isn't something romantic," I said, coming closer to Xellos, "Because you are mine..."

"Shut up Catsuya!" he said, "Miss Amelia, what brings you here?"

"I heard someone yelling and I assumed they must be in trouble!" she said, looking slightly embarrassed, "Are you in trouble?" She looked genuinely concerned to me. Xellos decided to put on a big act, just to tick me off.

"Miss Amelia, thank you so much! I am in trouble! This terrible woman here is making me suffer!" he said, "You have to save me from her!"

"If she's making you suffer and you actually feel pain then I say we become her cheering section..." a gruff voice replied and I looked to see three other people walking up towards Amelia.

"Amelia, we almost couldn't catch up to you," one of them said, "Why'd you have to run so fast?" One of them, the woman who had just spoken was about my height, slightly shorter with brown hair and non-existent breasts. The one standing next to her was wearing blue armor, he looked like a swordsman. Finally I came to the last guy, the one who had just commented about becoming a cheering section; he had blue hair and rocky skin and tan clothing. All three of them looked young; although the one called Amelia looked the youngest of all.

"Zel, don't be cruel!" Xellos said and looked back at me, "This woman is being so mean!"

"Yes, I'm being mean and you're acting like a child Xellos," I stated simply, "On the other hand, who are you?"

"Who are you?" the brown haired woman asked and I smiled at her.

"I asked first..." I said.

"And what were you doing with Amelia?" the one Xellos had called Zel asked.

"Nothing," I replied, "She was just making assumptions and decided to butt in on my business!"

"She was hurting me!" Xellos complained.

"That excuse wore off when you were a child..." I said and glared at him, "Now, who are all of you?" The young brown haired woman decided it best to take over the conversation, because she held out a hand to silence the one named Zel and then offered it to me.

"My name is Lina Inverse, the one next to me is Gourry Gabriev and the one next to him is Zelgadis Graywords. I think you've already met Amelia," she said politely, "Now who are you?"

"Catsuya Nûluêth Ryu," I said, taking the offered hand.

"Catsuya, that's an interesting name..." Lina said, "And I can't even begin to try to pronounce your middle name!"

"Then don't..." I said softly.

"How come you can beat up on Xellos? You must be pretty strong or he really allows you to..." Lina said, "I mean...him..."

"He is weaker than I am. He might be the most powerful Mazoku around but I am something more than that..." I said, "And that is all I'll tell you."

"Why?" Lina asked, taking a step closer to me.

"I'm keeping it...it's a Se-cr-et!" I said and Lina's mouth dropped open.

"So that's where you get it from!" Zelgadis exclaimed, "Why you little..."

"Now, now, calm down..." Xellos said and actually teleported behind me, "Don't go making her mad if I get hurt..."

"You are such a conundrum," I muttered and back kicked him in the stomach, "And don't go looking to me for protection. I haven't seen you in a lot of years and if you got yourself into trouble that's your own fault!"

"But..." he muttered as he let out an involuntary his of pain. I was wearing spiked shoes for the moment so that back kick must've hurt him more than I intended. I turned to face him.

"But nothing," I said, "You may think your loyalties lie elsewhere but you were promised to me and I'm stronger than your lord." I said this only as a whisper, something I knew only he could hear.

"..." Xellos said nothing.

"You know this and still you refuse the inevitable. You are mine..." I said and then turned back to face the group of his 'friends' or 'acquaintances' whichever he referred to them as.

"So anyways...what is your business with Xellos?" Lina asked me and I smiled widely.

"Xellos is mine," I said, "He's my fiancé!"

"Huh?" Everyone asked, and Amelia blurted out, "You've got to be kidding!"

"No, many years ago an arrangement was reached, Xellos was promised to me," I said simply, "Xellos is mine..."

"I don't know who to pity more..." Zelgadis said with a half smile, "the Mazoku or the one who he was promised to..."

"You hardly know me and you make assumptions?" I asked him and his half smile faded.

"Uh...no?" he said quickly.

"I am more powerful than he is so your only safe assumption is that I am not one to be messed with!" I said.

"That is true," Xellos said.

"Furthermore, I'm not big on jokes," I continued.

"That is not true," Xellos said.

"And I'm much smarter than Xellos is," I finished.

"That isn't true either...where do you get these assumptions?" Xellos asked, trying to become bold, "I'm older than you are..."

"By two years," I said.

"And I've traveled more and seen more than you have," he continued.

"That could be true and yet it could not be true. I see a lot with my line of work..." I continued.

"What is your line of work?" Amelia asked but I ignored her.

"And you still act like a child. At least I grew up!" he exclaimed and I moved close to him and was only a breath away when I smiled.

"Who's to say I haven't either? I always did love acting," I said and then kissed him on the cheek before he could protest, "It's good to know you're still as arrogant as ever!"

"Why's that a good thing?" Zelgadis asked.

"What's going on?" Gourry asked but I ignored them both.

"I'm...not arrogant!" Xellos said defensively, "And don't kiss me again!"

"I've been hearing a lot from my sources about what you've been doing in the past years," I said and then lowered my voice to a whisper, one that only he could hear again, "And I was called on to clean up some of the messes you made Little Xellos..."

"Shut up!" he said, looking about ready to loose his temper.

"I don't care for your master," I said, "You've known that forever. Your master knows that as well... Don't make me mad..."

"You wouldn't harm the one you wish to call husband..." he said, a faint grin returning to his face but it faded as I glared at him.

"I would..." I said even softer than ever and he froze with fear as he realized the truth that was behind those words. My duties were many and being called to clean up after him after he had killed someone was very tiresome.

"..." Xellos remained silent and backed away a few steps, "I just have to... I'll be back later!" He said this mostly to the group of people behind us, and I turned to see the most confused faces on everyone there. I let out a sigh and smiled.

"Uh..." Amelia began but Zelgadis clamped a hand over her mouth. Xellos looked at me again and teleported out of the area. I knew where he was going; I didn't want to follow him though. He had this special place he had forged over the years, a place where he could find peace and quiet, or cause some mischief to the nearby towns and villages. I wasn't worried he'd do anything for at least a week now. I knew my little speech wouldn't stop him from doing what he always did, but at least it would force him to be more careful. He was most likely afraid that I'd be coming to clean up after him when he was in the middle of one of his deeds and then he'd be forced to deal with me directly.

_The forgotten souls of the Ryuzoku...collected by me and saved from damnation. I myself am a dragon, and more powerful than he is, which is why I believe is one reason why he fears me when I make my threats... My threats are never vain, which is why I suppose he has never tried to attack anyone from my clan... I can only wish that I didn't have to make them, but I deal with the nature of a Mazoku...and win... Xellos has yet to get the better of me...in love, magic or in war..._

_**TBC**_

**A/N: **I hope that was an interesting enough chapter. Sorry if Xellos was a little OOC, but he's got to be a little bit in order to fit the description of fear towards Catsuya. Well? Let me know what you think, but any flames will **be used to roast my marshmallows and feed those that like this story.** Other than that, please review!


	3. Part 3: Arrogance and Pride

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers…

A/N: I actually don't know why I'm really continuing this…I had kinda given up on it and just today (March 29th, 2005) I got this review saying some stuff and I thought… well, I have been tossing ideas around my head so much that I might as well give it one more shot. I'm not making any guarantees and I'm certainly not saying anything about whether I'll stick to this or not, I've been yelled at in the Slayers section for my OOCness and OC characters which kinda doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I have OC characters in a lot of my other stories, Yu-Gi-Oh and Harry Potter and other categories as well and this is the only area of whatever where I've been yelled at…interesting. Oh well, I'm giving this another try, so bear with me, alright?

**Keeper of Souls**

**Chapter 3: Arrogance and Pride**

**_Xellos_**

****

"Arrogant child thinks she can just come back here and…" I muttered as I paced around the floor of a cave. It was my cave, a little place I called home whenever I wanted to get away from things and right now I wanted to get away from Catsuya. She was so annoying and incredibly child like! I can't believe she just came back… I bet now she's going to try to be nice to Lina and her gang and that really just…Argh! It ticks me off!

**_Catsuya_**

****

"So…can I call you Cat for short?" Lina asked me and I smiled innocently.

"Not really, not yet, I don't know you well enough," I said, "So I will call you Miss Inverse until I get to know you better."

"No, actually call me Miss Lina if you must," she said quickly, "Miss Inverse makes me sound old."

"And let me guess, it's what Xellos calls you?" I asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"So…are you a Mazoku?" Amelia asked me.

"Well…not really," I trailed, "I don't exactly know how to describe what I am. I guess a fitting description would be I'm a type of necromancer…at least that's as close as I can get and not confuse people…"

"Oh," Zelgadis stated, "So then you like the dead?"

"Not exactly," I said and wondered how to explain what I really was, "I guess you can think of me as a Mazoku, at least for a while…many think I am."

"Oh," Gourry said and I watched him lean forward towards Lina, "You seem almost perfect…"

"Oh no, I have weaknesses," I stated firmly.

"What are they?" Lina asked.

"Uh…no, I don't think so," I replied, "I won't say what they are, I don't know or trust you well enough." Lina nodded with a look of determination. I was afraid she just took it upon herself to find a fault or weakness with me…great…

"So…you know Xellos really well?" Zelgadis asked, almost bitter in his tone of voice.

"I've known him since we were really young," I said, grateful for the change of subject.

"You know he's evil, right?" Zelgadis asked.

"No more than I," I replied.

"So you're evil?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"You don't seem like it," he stated.

"That's because you've only pretty much just met me," I pointed out.

"What makes you so evil then?" he asked.

"I'm a murderer," I stated before I could stop myself.

"Say what?" Lina asked, "What do you mean by that?"  
"I've killed people before," I explained, realizing I had dug my hole and now had to lie in it, "I've killed lots of people before, and I still do."

"Were these people bad people?" Amelia asked, "Did you kill them because of Justice?"

"No," I replied with a sigh, "I kill bad and good people."

"You kill good people?" Amelia asked with a gleam in her eye, "That cannot stand!"

"Its part of my job Miss Amelia," I stated firmly, narrowing my eyes, "I do my job regardless of who I have to kill to do it."

"What do you do?" Gourry asked.

"I won't tell you, it's better to show what I do…even if it isn't a pretty sight to see… it's easier to understand once you see what I do," I said, "All I can say is every Mazoku hates me for it…"

"Why would they hate you for killing?" Zelgadis asked.

"Because they take pleasure out of the killing, I don't," I explained, "I do my job, it doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Ah, I see…no wait, not really," Gourry said with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Never mind," I said, "Just never mind."

"All right then," Lina said, "Do you have anywhere to be going right now?"

"No, why?" I asked.

"Travel with us for a while," Zelgadis said quickly, "That should keep Xellos away from us!"

"You really don't like him, do you?" I asked.

"I hate all Mazoku, but especially him," Zelgadis said.

"What did he do?" I asked, "Never mind, I don't want to know."

"You probably wouldn't," Zelgadis said, "He's a pain."

"So am I," I responded.

"How can you be? You seem so calm," Lina pointed out.

"Never give me any sugar," I said.

"Why?" Gourry asked.

"I'm hyper whenever I get sugar in me…" I stated dryly, "And since last time I had sugar I ended up burning my own house down I've since forbidden myself from having any."

"You burned your own house down?" Gourry asked.

"Well, more like the entire village," I said with a loud laugh, "But no one got hurt…" Lina shuddered.

"We better start walking if we want to make it to the next village before sunset," Amelia stated and we all began to walk to get back onto the path. I looked over each of the group and smiled.

"You seem like such a mismatched group," I stated.

"So…what of it?" Lina asked and I leaned in close. I'd probably get my arse kicked for teasing but oh well…

"You are the weirdest of them all, you have such small breasts!" I said laughing, and then noting her extremely pissed off look, immediately followed by finding myself caught in a fireball. A puff of smoke escaped my lips and I fell to the ground.

"I learned a long time ago not to tease her about that," Zelgadis stated, staring down at my twitching form.

"…" the others said nothing as Lina glared down at me with a 'don't do that again' look and stalked off. I let Zelgadis help me up and I brushed soot off of my arms. I was a total mess.

"Who said you could get up?" Lina exclaimed and I let out a cry of pain as a second fireball hit me. This wasn't going to be fun traveling with this group; they had no sense of humor!

**_…_**

**__**

"Are you going to force Xellos to marry you?" Zelgadis asked as we all began to eat dinner. The inn we were staying at apparently had a reputation for good food and Lina had been the first to jump on the opportunity.

"Yes, of course, why should I?" I asked, "He's mine, he was promised to me."

"I don't think that's right," Amelia said, pausing between bites of her food. Gourry and Lina were completely ignoring the conversation altogether and eating as fast as they could. The must have iron stomachs. I wasn't eating anything, partially because I wasn't hungry and partially because this wasn't really my kind of food. I was particularly picky in my tastes, except when I was hungry, really hungry, which I wasn't at the moment, so I decided just to not eat at all.

"Why do you say that Miss Amelia?" I asked.

"Forcing someone to marry you against their will isn't right Miss Catsuya," she stated, "How do you think that person would feel, never mind the fact that Mr. Xellos is a Mazoku."

"I don't really care about that," I replied firmly, "I shouldn't have to, he's been promised to me."

"But what about love?" she asked, "Don't you love him?"

"Marriages aren't made based on love Miss Amelia, they're based on convenience and that's a fact," I said.

"What if you were in his shoes, how would you feel?" she asked. I hid the fact that the question bothered me.

"I'd do my duty and bear it like a man," I said, "I wouldn't mind."

"Yes you would," she said and her gaze seemed to pierce right into my heart and I looked away.

"It doesn't matter, that's not how the situation is," I stated, "And that's not how it will be."

"You have a point Amelia," Zelgadis said, "As much as I hate Xellos, being forced into something isn't right."

"Right, like how you weren't asked whether you wanted to become a chimera or not!" she said cheerfully.

"Don't compare those situations," he muttered.

"But they are similar, aren't they? You weren't given a choice and Miss Catsuya here obviously isn't giving Mr. Xellos a choice," she stated and I looked up at her, trying to hide any emotion that might be showing on my face.

"I don't care what you think," I said, a blatant lie and she knew it.

"I hit a nerve with you, didn't I?" she asked and didn't wait for my response before continuing, "I think you're just afraid he'd leave you forever if you gave him the choice."

"That's not it at all!" I exclaimed, slamming my hands down on the table and shaking a few of the plates that were starting to pile up, "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Shhh…people are staring," Zelgadis whispered, looking embarrassed and ashamed at the same time.

"But there is some truth to it, isn't there?" Amelia asked, keeping her calm and I blinked twice and regained my own sense of self and calmed down.

"I apologize for the outbreak," I stated and walked away from the table, "I need a little air, don't worry, I won't go far."

"Miss Catsuya…" Amelia began but she stopped herself from saying whatever it was she was planning on saying… She saw regret in my eyes and a few tears that I quickly wiped away, and also, I believe she did see…in my eyes, I loved Xellos…

**_…_**

**__**

I stayed outside the inn for a while, trying to calm myself down and such. I sat on a nearby bench and lay back against it.

"I must be nuts to actually have accepted a traveling invitation from this group," I said, "They're smarter than they realize. Miss Amelia…she's something else." She was blinded by an intense search for justice but she had a lot of common sense…and that was what she just used on me. I did love Xellos…honestly did but I never thought he liked me, much less loved me back. The only thing tying us together was the arrangement and even that had begun to break now for whatever reason, and I struggled to hold it together. I sighed and buried my face in my hands, what was I doing here? Amelia had truth in her words, more than she even knew… I give up…I wouldn't dwell on them just yet, but…they would haunt my sleep, of this I was certain.

**_TBC_**

**__**

**A/N: Any better? I kinda made Amelia a little better than in some of my other fics…I still don't know why I bothered to continue but here it is. Just lemme know what you think if you want, just don't flame me! Flames will be used to roast marshmallows!**


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